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In this article
BYCOL is BYROW turned sideways: one result per column.
Syntax
=BYCOL(array, LAMBDA(col, calculation))| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
LAMBDA(col, …) |
What to do with each column. |
Examples
Example 1
=BYCOL(B2:M20, LAMBDA(c, MAX(c)))Best product sale in each month.
BYCOL in practice
Where you will use it
- Total or max of each column in one formula
- Column checks on a dynamic table
- Header-level summaries
Worked example
Column totals of the first N rows.
| Data rows | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | =ARRAYTOTEXT(BYCOL(TAKE({10,20,30;5,15,25;1,2,3},A2),LAMBDA(c,SUM(c)))) | 15, 35, 55 |
| 3 | =ARRAYTOTEXT(BYCOL(TAKE({10,20,30;5,15,25;1,2,3},A3),LAMBDA(c,SUM(c)))) | 16, 37, 58 |
| 1 | =ARRAYTOTEXT(BYCOL(TAKE({10,20,30;5,15,25;1,2,3},A4),LAMBDA(c,SUM(c)))) | 10, 20, 30 |
Results calculated in Excel.
Mistakes people make
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| LAMBDA returning an array | Each call must return one value |
| Older Excel | Needs Microsoft 365 |
Related functions
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📎 Practice files for this article
- 📗Practice workbook: Logic, LET & LAMBDA17 tasks on realistic sales data — type your formula, the Check column turns green when it is right. Answers sheet included.⬇ XLSX · 35 KB
Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.
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